The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-07-24
A PRETTY STATE OF ThINGn.
The Liberal" Territorial ConVen-
tien.
To the Editor of THx HERALD .

To the Editor OF IHE hEkALD'
Being out of town on the day ap,
nointed for the meeting of the Liberal
Territorial Convention, was notaWare
of the action of that body until saw IN
your paper, of Thursday, an accountol
its proceedings, which account, assumed
TO be correct, leads me to make few
brief comments.
have no right-as l do not pose as a
"Liberal'-to complain of the resolu-
ton offered by the veteran Republican
Liberal, Colonel Sells, which declared II
TO be the senAe of the convention that
no Liberal should vote either for or
against the "so-called State Conslltu-
| ton. Tits question not for me to decide
whether the convention had right to
dictate to members of its party regard
ing their right to vote for or against
the "so-called Constitution. But when
the convention, made up OF "so-called"
Democrats and Republicans, assumes
the right Of director to class OF citizens
to which belong, take the liberty to
protest and deny the right OF the
Liberal or any olher convention to
dictate 10 me as to how | should vote
or not vote on that or any other ques-
ton, and especially do l vigorously
EkicE" against the first resolution which
quote:
Resolved, First-That, so long as the tenn
D RAJ power of the Mormon Church shall re-
main in issue, and as long as that church,
AS a political orga IizatiOn, continues to ar
ray itself against the laws OF the land, a
sense of se!f-preserVation as well as true
allegiance to the Republic ard its free in I'll
tutions, ca / on ali true American citizens
in the Territory to stand md act together
against a great over hadowing evil as they
d. now, without fferences as to national
politics; and we, therefore, affirm 1t 10 be
the duty and purpose of all such, 10 support
The Liberal organization, as broad com
mon ground, adapted to the ecessiIies OF
the situation, from which we can best ap-
peal to both rational parties in Congress and
the sense of the nation at large.
Possibly I am as true in my "alle-
giance to the Republic and its free in
situations" as the ramer of the above
resolution or those who adopted it, and
| hereby assert that, as regards my
duty 70 support the Liberal organiza
ton" I an the able judge as to what
my duty is on that, as well as other
subj cts, aud further that it was piece
of gross impertinence on the part of
the convention to attempt to dictate
the action of others, on this, or any
other subject.
Inow quote the ninth resolution, and
call the special attention of all true
Democrats to its criticism of the action
of the Utah Commission; here 1t is:
Ninth-That the Utah Comm ssion owes
its exis ence to the fact recognized by re-
pe4ted acts of Congress that the dominant
majority of U'sh are unfit 10 be invested
with the unusual powers of Territorial
government; that the hasty action of a
majority Of that Commission in attempting
to lend their official sanction 10 The move E.
men of st tehood under control of dis
loyal majority, is d Stultifics ton # their pre-
viOus action in like cases, a usurpatiOn of
power without any color of law, and pre-
sents the painful spectacle of i'm lotent
SIP ctators, without pow, 10 do sny effec i've
good in Utah, lending their official. Influence
to promote and perpetuate the evils which
their mp oyment was intended to repress
and extinguIsh
1t is pretty well known at present, a
majority of the members OF the Utah
Commission are Democrats, and men of
high standing in the States in which
they reside, and the same can be said Of
the minority. If the Convention which
adopted this resolution had purported
to be what it in reality wasl Repub-
can convention, should not have be- n
surprised, because it is the peculiar
mission of that party to Willy Demo
Gratis, and the majority is of course
| held responsible for the acts of the
board, but l confess TO great surprise
t. see the names of men who at other
mes, and when certain ends ara de-
sired, pose es Democrats, asSoclaElng
with, and being foremos in aiding Re
publicans IN the work of detraction of
Democrats whose claims to this title
are perfect end earned by life long ser
vice in the party to which they belong.
a Democrat is known by what he
does and not alone by what he says.
l am not sure that persistent consort-
ing with, and voting for. Republicans.
entities any man, no matter how loud
his profession OF Democracy, to attempt
t lead, or to dictate to Democrats, or
even to assume the name of Democrat.
cannot conceive why such men join
in a Republican crusade against the
Utah Commission, and hope that no
real Democrat will be Influenced by
what they may do or say disrespectful
OF that body. The "hasty action" of
the Commission of which complai is
made, did not lend Official sanction to
the movement for Statehood; it did not
stultify previous action of the Commits =
sion lin like cases." there have been no
milar cases.
They did not in this action "usurp"
any power, with or without color of
h'w; they merely consented that the
officers of election might receive and
count votes cast for and against the
Constitution, such receiving and count
ing not interfering in any way with the
legal election.
In former years, when the Utah
Commission was composed of major
" of Republicans, and when they
Yo;ced in their action, the will of a Ger
ain Republican clique in Utah, We did
not see the commission denounced in
conventions, on the streets, and in news
napers as in this instance, and in other
cases occurring lately. The reasons are
obvious. seems to suit the leaders o.
the clique to cast oiium if possible on
| Democratic commission, and they are
welcome to all the glory which they
may achieve in the effort, but they for
get that in this attack they strike as
well respectable Republican minority
III that commission.